Hose-reel.



E. C. MERRILL.

HOSE REEL.

APPLICATION FILED HAY26,1916, 1,236,734. Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

lNVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY E. C. MERRILL.

HOSE REEL.

APPLICATION HLED MAYZE. 1916.

1,236,784. Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IEJ'NV'AIELD CLIFTON MERRILL, 0F ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

HOSE-REEL.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD CLIFTON MERRILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Asheville, in the county of Bunc'ombe and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hose-Reels, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to hose reels and more particularly to a reel of this character whichis adapted to have coiled thereon the ordinary garden hose such as is employed for sprinkling lawns or gardens.

The primary object of the device is the provision of a hose reel which is adapted to be mounted within the basement or cellar of a residence in a manner that will allow the convenient removal of the hose from the reel when it is desired to use the hose' outside of the residence.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a recess or cavity formed in the wall of the residence and through which the hose, which has been previously wound around the reel within the residence may be drawnoutside for attachment to the water spigot.

As a further object of'the invention the device is provided with automatic means for winding the reel when the hose is to be wound upon the reel.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the preferred embodiment and in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which \Eigure 1 is a vertical section through the device showing it attached to the wall of a residence.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a fragmen tary portion of the wall of the residence showing a covering for the recess.

.the manner of mounting the same.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the reel showing a modified form of the manner of mounting the spring.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 14, 1917,

. Application filed May 26, 1916. Serial No. 100,142. 7 v

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

The wall A of the residence, of which is shown a fragmentary p0rtion,-is provided with an aperture or cavity l'which extends completely through the wall and, forms communication between the interior B of the residence and the exterior C. The cavity 1 is formed by removing two or more bricks of which the wall A is formed. A frame 1 and consists of the upper wall 3, the lower wall a, and the end walls 5 and 6.. The front of the housing is open and is provided with a cover or door 7 having-trunnions 8 formed at each end edge which are received within apertures 9 formed in the end walls 5 and 6, thereby allowing the cover or door 7 to be opened or closed as desired. Any suitable lock 10may be employed for looking the door 7 in closed position. Mounted onthe end wall 6 is a clip 11, the purpose of which will be presently described.

The end Walls 5 and 6 are provided with extensions 12 which project into the basement of the residence and are curved downwardly at their ends and provided with apertures 13 for receiving the ends of the shaft 14: upon which the reel 15- is mounted.

The reel 15 is provided with a drum 16 upon which the hose may be wound and inside of work or housing 2 is mounted in the opening the drum 16 is a smaller cylindrical tube 17 having mounted therein the coil spring 18.

One end of a spiral spring 18 is-secured to. 1

the shaft '14, the shaft being held rigidly against rotation by the ends of the extensions 12, while the opposite end of the spring 18 is secured to the tube 17 Mounted upon a the outer face of the drum 16 is the strap 19 which is provided with aneye 20 at one end and receives the end of a short cable or rope 21. The opposite'end of the cable 21 is provided with a pipe plug 22 having a flange 23, the plug being screw threaded to receive the coupling at the end of the ordinary garden hose. As shown by Fig. 1 of the drawing, the hose is removed from the drum and the spiral spring is wound toex'ert a tensionon the drum which is prevented from rotat- I ing by virtue of the flange 23 of the pipe plug 22 being caught in the clip 11 within the housing. Now, to wind the hose upon the drum, it is merely necessary to open the door 7, screw the coupling at the end of the hose on the plug22 after which the plug will be released from the clip 11 and the tension of the spiral spring 18 will cause the drum to revolve until the hose is completely wound upon the drum, whereupon the nozzle of the hose may be secured in the clip 11 thereby placing it in position to be easily iea'ched when it is again desired to use the ose.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a modified form of the manner of imparting a rotary motion to the reel when the hose is being wound thereon. The shaft 24 carries the reel flanges 25, and a plurality of rods 26 have their ends secured to the reel flanges for providing a hose reel upon which the hose may be wound. The shaft is secured to one of the flanges 25 and is adapted to rotate therewith, and one of the terminals of the shaft extends through one of the flanges 25 and outwardly beyond the same for receiving a casing 27. The casing is secured to one of the extensions 28 which are of the same construction as the extensions 12 of the preferred form. The casing is secured to the extension 28 by means of a set screw 29 which has its end 80- disposed within the casing. Mounted within the casing is a coiled fiat spring 31 which is similar in construction to the ordinary main spring that is used in clocks. One end of the spring is secured to the-extended portion 30 of the set screw while the opposite end of the spring is fastened to the shaft 24.

Now, when the hose is drawn through the casing for removal from the reel, the reel will be rotated, thereby unwinding the coil spring 31 until a great tension is exerted thereby on the shaft 24. When the hose is released, the coil spring will unwind and cause the reel to rotate for winding the hose thereon.

The modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is similar in its operation, except that the casing 27' is fastened to reel flange 25' and the shaft 24' is held in the extension 28 for preventing the rotation of the shaft. The casing 27" rotates with the reel and the spring 31' has one of its ends fastened to the stud or set screw 29 which fastens the easing to the reel flange. The opposite end of the spring is secured to the shaft 24 and, from this construction, it will be observed that the unwinding of the hose from thereel will cause both the casing and reel to rotate, the shaft remaining stationary for winding the spring 31. Immediately upon releasing the hose the spring will cause the casing and reel to rotate in the opposite direction for winding the hose upon the reel.

In reduction to practice I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practicable; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary,

I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in the details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a wall having a housing open at both ends and communicating with the exterior and the interior sides of the wall, a hose reel disposed upon the interior side of the wall and carried by the said housing, means for imparting a rotary motion to the hose reel for winding a hose on the said reel, and a flexible element having one end secured to the hose reel and adapted to have the other end detachably' secured in the said housing the said means holding the said flexible element under a tension when the hose is unwound from the said reel.

2. In a device of the character described, I

the combination with a wall having an opening formed therein, supporting extensions projecting from the interior side of the wall and disposed at each end of the said opening, a hose reel carried by the extensions and provided with a coil tension spring for tending to impart a winding motion to the hose reel, and a flexible element disposed within the opening and attached i to the said reel for preventing the operation of the coil tension spring when the hose is removed from the reel.

3. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a wall having a substantially rectangular opening formed therein, supporting extensions projecting from the interior side of the wall, a hose reel of a length equal to the length of the said rectangular opening, the said hose reel being mounted upon the said projections formtary movement, a shaft for the said hose reel having its ends fixed against rotary movement, a coil clock spring having one end fixed to the-said shaft and its opposite end to the said hose reel, and means for preventing the winding of 'the said reel by the said spring when the hose is removed from the said reel and permitting the hose to be attached to or detached from its connection with the said reel at a point within the said rectangular opening;

.4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a wall having an opening formed therein, a projection extending into the opening from one side thereof, a hose reel mounted adjacent said opening provided with a central shaft, means carried by the shaft and adapted to cooperate with the hose reel for automatically rotating the said hose reel in one direction, and a flexible element fastened to the reel and adapted to have an end removably secured to the said projection for preventing the rotation of the said reel by the said means when the hose is unwound therefrom.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a wall having an' opening formed therein, of a hose reel rotatably mounted upon the wall, a housing ar- 'ranged in said opening in said wall, said housing being provided with inwardly projecting extensions, a shaft for said hose reel having its ends fixed in said extensions, and means carried by said shaft and connected to said hose reel for winding said hose reel. 7

6. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a wall having an opening formed therein, of a hosereel rotatably mounted upon the wall, a housing arranged in said opening, said housing being provided with inwardly projecting extensions, a shaft for said hose reel having its ends fixed in said extensions, a spiral spring carried by said shaft and having one end secured to said shaft and the opposite" end secured to said hose reel, and a flexible element carried by said reel and adaptedto be secured at its. terminal within said housing for holding said i'eel against the tension .exerted by said spiral spring.

-7. In a' device of'the character described, the combination with a wall having an opening formed therein, of a housing arranged in said opening, saidhousing provided with inwardlyprojecting extensions,

a hose reel having a central shaft, the ends of said shaft being fixedly mounted in said extensions, means carried by said shaft and connected to said hose reel for winding said hose 'reel in the opposite direction to the direction which it is rotated when the hose is withdrawn from said reel, and means connected with said hose reel and extending into said opening for holding said reel against rotation when the hose is removed therefrom.

8. In a-device'of the character described,

the combination with a Wall having an opening formed therein, of a hose reel rotatably mounted upon the wall, a housing arranged in said opening in said wall, said housing provided with inwardly projecting extensions, a shaft for said hose reel having its ends fixed in said extensions, means carried by said shaftand connected to said hose .reel for Winding said hose reel, means conupon said extensions, a shaft for the hose reel having its ends fixed to said reel for rotating therewith, a casing mounted upon one of said extensions-and secured thereto, and a coil clock-spring arranged in said casing and having one of its ends fixed to said shaft whereby, said spring will be wound the hose therefrom.

up when said reel is rotated 'forremoving casing and its opposite end' fixed'to said 10., In a device of the'c haracter described,

the combination with a wall having an opening formed therein, a housing arranged in said opening and-provided with projecting extensions, a shaft having its ends fixed insaid extensions for preventingthe rotation of said shaft, ahose reel' rotatably mounted upon said shaft, andtensioningj reel-and itsoppositevend secured to= said shaft for rotating said reel after said reelis rotated by removing the hose therefrom;

' atfix my signature In testimony whereofin presence of two witnesses. Y

EDWARD CLIFTON- MERRILL. Witnesses r CAROL. SELF, FRANK M; CULvEnN.

'means havingone end secured to said hose 

